1. The Field of the Invention
The present disclosure relates generally to trailer hitch systems, and more particularly, but not necessarily entirely, to a bracket system for trailer hitch systems for reducing trailer sway and/or equalizing the weight of the trailer.
2. Description of Related Art
Various different types of trailer hitches are known in the art for attaching trailers to towing vehicles. One of the most common types of towing systems utilizes a ball hitch. Typical ball hitches have a generally spherical shaped ball with a stem or threaded rod extending from a base of the ball. The threaded rod may be configured to engage a hitch head mounted on the towing vehicle using a threaded receiver or ball hitch fitting. A trailer coupling member, positioned on a front of the trailer tongue, may engage the ball hitch in a loose friction fit, and may be secured to the ball in preparation for towing. An example is illustrated in FIG. 1.
Referring to FIG. 1, a side view is shown of a towing vehicle 10 towing a trailer 12 with a trailer hitch 14. It will be understood that the towing vehicle 10 may be any variety of vehicle known in the art, such as a truck, tractor or car, or any other variety of on-road or off-road vehicle, for example. Likewise, the principles of the present disclosure may be utilized with any variety of trailer 12 known in the art, such as camping trailers, boat trailers or cargo trailers, for example.
As is known in the art, the load from the trailer 12 may force the rear end of the towing vehicle 10 down and raise the front end of the towing vehicle 10 and thereby hitches may drag on the ground. Load equalizing systems, as discussed more fully below, have been used to distribute the load created by the trailer 12 on the towing vehicle 10 to thereby make the trailer 12 and towing vehicle 10 more level.
One of the biggest safety concerns with towing trailers is that the trailers may sway, leading to loss of control of the towing vehicle. A number of factors may contribute to sway, including: side winds, passing vehicles, quick lane changes, uneven roads and sudden stops. Some trailer hitches may not handle these situations well and may often exacerbate the sway problem making driving even more stressful and difficult.
Another common problem encountered when towing a trailer is “highway hop,” or the bouncing that often happens to trailers on uneven roadways. This problem may be caused by uneven weight distribution. With ordinary ball-type hitches, most of the trailer tongue weight may be carried on the back axle of the tow vehicle. This may raise the front end of the tow vehicle. The uneven distribution of weight may make steering control more difficult, especially during emergency situations. Weight distribution allows a trailer and tow vehicle to be level. Risks associated with driving a trailer without a weight distribution hitch may include loss of steering control, braking difficulties, and hitch dragging.
Some hitches include load equalizing systems utilizing spring arms or bars to distribute loads and allow the towing vehicle and trailer to remain level. One end of the spring arms may be attached under the ball hitch and hitch head. The spring arms may extend from the hitch head towards the trailer, and may be joined to the trailer tongue using chains and/or brackets. The end of the spring arms opposite the hitch head may be lifted or loaded to place an upward force on the hitch head to thereby equalize the load exerted on the trailer hitch. Various mechanisms are known for use in association with a trailer hitch to reduce side sway of the trailer as well as to equalize loads. Some prior art embodiments of the brackets for joining the spring bars to the trailer tongue have been formed as rigid members.
The features and advantages of the disclosure will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be apparent from the description, or may be learned by the practice of the disclosure without undue experimentation. The features and advantages of the disclosure may be realized and obtained by means of the instruments and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.